I am, and be convinced of the
impossibility."

"Well then, why will you not come to me?"

"Do you not see, in all your kindness, that my coming to you would
make every one know the terms between us, while no one remarks his just
coming to me here as an old friend? And if he were ever to turn his mind
to any one else--"

"He will never do that, I am sure."

"There is no knowing. He has never been, in his own estimation,
disengaged from me," said Ermine; "his brother is bent on his
marrying, and he ought to be perfectly free to do so, and not under the
disadvantage that any report of this affair would be to him."

"Well, I am sure he never will," said Fanny, almost petulantly; "I know
I shall hate her, that's all."

Ermine thought her own charity towards Mrs. Colin Keith much more
dubious than Lady Temple's, but she continued--

"At any rate you will be so very kind as not to let any one know of it.
I am glad you do. I should not feel it right that you should not, but it
is different with others."

"Thank you. And if you will not come to me, you will let me come to
you, won't you? It will be so nice to come and talk him over with you.
Perhaps I shall persuade you some of these days after all. Only I must
go now, for I always give the children their tea on Sunday. But please
let your dear little niece come up to-morrow and play with them; the
little Hammonds will be there, she is just their age."

Ermine felt obliged to grant this at least, though she was as doubtful
of her shy Rose's happiness as of the expedience of the intimacy; but
there was no being ungracious to the gentle visitor, and no doubt Ermine
felt rejoiced and elevated. She did not need fresh assurances of Colin's
constancy, but the affectionate sister-like congratulations of this
loving, winning creature, showed how real and in earnest his intentions
were. And then Lady Temple's grateful esteem for him being, as it was,
the reflection of her husband's, was no small testimony to his merits.

"Pretty creature!" said Ermine to herself, "really if it did come to
that, I could spare him to her better than to any one else. She has some
notion how to value him."

Alison and Rose had, in the meantime, been joined by Colonel Keith and
the boys, whom Alick had early deserted in favour of a sunny sandy nook.
The Colonel's purpose was hard on poor Alison; it was to obtain her
opinion of her sister's decision, and the likelihood of persistence
in it. It w